Kaitlyn

“O Lord, I bring an offering to you…”

I deeply appreciate the words of that song. I’m listening to it tonight in our floor lounge. It’s quiet (I mean, hey, it’s 1:00am), and my body is tired from a long day. My heart, though, is peaceful. Much has been getting done. God is at work and teaching me yet again the importance of prayer.

There’s a professor here on campus whose trademark line is about holding things (especially significant others) with an open palm. We joke about it here, mostly because he has the most precious Southern accent and is a bajillion years old.

There is something so symbolic about an open hand facing upwards. It shows surrender. It shows that we’re giving something up that we’ve been holding onto. It shows God

Thank the Lord for his blessings in my life. He has given me several reprieves this past week. A paper being finished and turned in. An event off my plate. A test taken. Time with friends and refreshing sleep. Beautiful weather. Dinner at a professor’s house and a successful meeting. Work smoothing out.

I am incredibly unworthy to know God, let alone the fact that he answers my prayers. Jesus has saved me! He extends that salvation to all!

Yet, a contrast looms.

Several friends I know are struggling hard. Stress, death, medical issues, financial problems, family drama, dark depression. God seems far away from them, the Scriptures are dry, and Satan feels like he’s ripping life apart.

Set this against the backdrop of our world, the picture

Congratulations, stress is officially a thing. 

I’m in the library ignoring all I need to be doing. I’m with two of my friends, evaluating doodles and making fun of an Instagram photo of Archie trying to channel James Dean. There’s much on my mind, and much to be in prayer for. Yet, here I am.

It’s because I can’t mentally do anything right now. And it’s okay.

Homework, work, family stuff, life choices, lack of social time, future plans, and trying to stay refreshed in the Word. Processing emotion instead of stuffing it up. Trying to take care of myself.

Sometimes, that includes eating junk food and listening to alt pop in the back corner of the lower level library. 

God, in his

Once in a while, you zoom out.

Sometimes it’s a conversation. Other times, it’s simply the reality of life making you pause in the middle of a crosswalk or as stop as you’re waiting for a train.

Today, I had the privilege to take my dear friend Claire out for a coffee adventure. We were at a hole-in-the-wall and caught up, then proceeded to walk by the river and get snacks at Trader Joe’s. It was refreshing and needed.

We were talking a lot about the future and our own insignificance in God’s plan. The current chapter of our lives includes Bible college, intense growth, and the big city. However, as Claire aptly pointed out, these four years are really only a season, a tiny blip on the road of our lives. The

Let me throw this out there.

All Christians are missionaries. All Christians are workers for the harvest, All Christians are “sent.”

Why? Because the Great Commission applies to all of us!

No one is exempt from living missionally: reaching out, evangelizing our neighbors, and making disciples!

Missions Conference wraps up tomorrow morning for our campus. It’s been a firehouse of info, and our theme this year on reaching the unreached has caused a lot of emotions to come out for our student body. I’m avoiding processing the bulk of it until after it’s over. 

I am sure of two things at this point, however:

We serve a mighty God who is capable of anything. He answers our prayers,

Once in a while, you get ahead of life. The papers are done, the work is over, the hangouts have happened, and the schedule is actually clear. 

That’s whats up.

It’s the night before our annual Missions Conference, and here I am with my friends, in our campus coffee shop, joking around and attempting to do nothing. We’re talking about whatever, complaining about Megabus ticket prices back to Iowa, and drinking cold coffee. I’m wearing slippers, and two of my friends are barefoot. It’s close to midnight here. I’m pretty sure Coldplay or something is playing in the background.

These simple moments will be what I miss. It’s the little pieces that come together to make up the huge puzzle of our individual lives. I will remember the big exams and the big

Frank is 23 years old. He loves Jesus and his girlfriend. He appreciates trail mix, deep discussions about faith, and friendly conversation.

I love hype.

A few hysterical people. Late-night adventures. Music. Party atmosphere. Something crazy, someone yelling, everyone doubled over with laughter so hard that they can’t breathe. Definitely something worth writing about later or maybe a sarcasm battle that turns into a new inside joke. If you know anything about Enneagrams, this is the full-out 7 side making an appearance.

I get such an emotional “high” from being with people. Having dozens of dear, genuine friends is a blessing I’ve only encountered since coming to college. For an extrovert like me, it’s the picture-perfect situation to be in. I thank God over and over for gifting me with friends. I deserve nothing, and yet he’s given me the one thing my heart craves most: relationships with other Christians.

And yet.

Do we believe that what we believe is really real?

How much is lies, and how much is truth?

I ended up in a black-hole-style conversation after dinner last night with two friends of mine. After a full day of homework, football, rain, and exploring Old Town, I was more than happy to talk.

We hit everything: self-perception, the culture wars, feminism’s impact on relationships, and why men and women have such skewed views of one another.

These were guys, and I’m so grateful because I needed to hear that others, especially my male contemporaries, are thinking through and are concerned about the same things I am. 

Our discussion left me thinking…how ignorant am I to the lies of this world slipping into

There’s no such thing as the perfect man.

Outwardly, everyone affirms my previous statement: Of course. We all know that. Yep.

Look in your heart.

If you are single today, if you are married today, if you are dating today, do you carry the terribly incorrect belief that your future/current spouse is supposed to be a certain way and act like this and behave just the way you want? That’s called playing God.

That’s called sin. That’s called being selfish.

We tend to assume that the other person needs to be perfect. We tend to make them into an idol. Worst of all, we tend to make them Jesus. 

Relationships are a tricky thing. We are saved and